Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Ground Clearance (Read 664 times) previous topic - next topic

Ground Clearance

Hi All
I have a newbie question. I'm looking at purchasing a 2000 U270 40'. What is the ground clearance when in travel mode? Can it be adjusted higher? Easily? Also length of overhang?
Reason I'm asking is I have a steep down hill driveway into the backyard where I want to park the coach, I don't want to high center coming off of the street. My 30' Barth will go in & out, but just barely.
The coach is a 6 hour drive from me. I'm going to see it on Tuesday.
Thanks in Advance - Ric
Previously:'66 VW Bus"Turtle 1";'65 VW Riviera Camper "Turtle 2";
';'91 VW Syncro Camper"Syn";'92 Barth 30' -"The Big Easy"
Currently: 2000 FT U270 40', #5634 -
"Le Bons Temps"; 2003 CRV
Ric & Leslie
"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #1 –
I can't answer your specific question (normal ground clearance and overhang of a 2000 U270), but someone else will shortly, I'm sure.

On any Foretravel coach with air bag suspension, there is usually some way to temporarily raise the suspension above normal ride height.  This is done with the HWH control panel.  In the fully raised position, you can gain about (I'm guessing here) 5" to 6" of additional ground clearance.  You can only move the coach at a very slow speed (less than 5 mph) in this mode, but it can be quite useful for situations such as you describe.  The details of how you do this will vary with different systems, but is spelled out in the HWH Owner's Manual for each coach model.  Follow the link below for the 600 Series Repair Manual.  The 600 Series is used on many Foretravel models.  This manual will give you a quick overview of how the typical HWH system functions.

Good luck with your shopping trip!

http://www.hwhcorp.com/ml11148.pdf
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Turtle –
Hi All
I have a newbie question. I'm looking at purchasing a 2000 U270 40'.  My 30' Barth will go in & out, but just barely.
Thanks in Advance - Ric
If you can barely get the Barth in I don't think a 40' will make it even by raising it to full height. Take some measurements of your driveway and on the test drive you should try to find a similar pitch area and get feel for how it will do. The rear overhang my 1995 40' U-300 is 12 feet from the center of the wheel.
good luck
Rick

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #3 –
If you manually raise your coach and install 11 1/2- to 12 inch blocks, does that not raise your coach that same height?
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #4 –
Quote from: rbark –
If you manually raise your coach and install 11 1/2- to 12 inch blocks, does that not raise your coach that same height?
No, because you are not starting from "zero" frame member clearance.  The place where you insert the 12" blocks already has about 6" or so of clearance when you are at ride height.  If it was zero, you would have metal-to-metal contact going down the road.

I've never actually measured the full range of suspension travel.  If you go from full "DUMP" (suspension resting on the metal bump stops) to full "RAISE", there may very well be 12" of total travel, measured at the point where you insert the safety stands.

I'm sure one of the Forum gurus will chime in with the exact numbers, measured to the nearest millimeter.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #5 –
Chuck,

I'm not with my notes but IIRC the air bags completely dumped is ~4 3/4"  and full raised is ~13 3/4"  But that is from internal bump stop to full raise.  Your actual travel will be less as most coaches don't rest on the internal bump stop.

Pamela & Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #6 –
Mike,

Are those numbers the (approximate) ground clearance under the belly pan at "full down" and "full up"?  If so, could one assume the ground clearance at "ride height" would be average of the two, or about 9 inches?  That would answer the OP's question.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #7 –
Chuck,

That is the measurements of just the air bag itself.  From mount plate to mount plate.

Pamela & Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #8 –
OK, then still waiting on somebody to supply the ground clearance (at the belly pan) for a 2000 model U270 sitting at ride height.
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #9 –
Are you talking about the space in the middle between the front and rear axles, or dragging the tail coming from a downhill transition to flat ground? If the latter, then the length of the U270 40' compared to a 36' shouldn't matter because they have the same overhang. I usually think of high-siding as going over a hump and catching the coach's belly on or near the peak of the hump. In that case, the 40' makes a difference vs. the 36'. At any rate, I have managed to avoid dragging the tail by stopping, putting it in level mode, raising the rear, and moving through the transition to flat or hill before travel mode brings it back to ride height. You can also just hit the raise button (and hold it down while creeping over the obstacle) and lift the whole coach, but I wouldn't let raise all the way up because you could crack a windshield if you take all the travel out of the suspension by raising it to the max. Once you raise it, it can stay up for longer than you might think as it goes back into travel mode because it doesn't purge the air out all at once.
Don
Quote from: Turtle –
Hi All
I have a newbie question. I'm looking at purchasing a 2000 U270 40'. What is the ground clearance when in travel mode? Can it be adjusted higher? Easily? Also length of overhang?
Reason I'm asking is I have a steep down hill driveway into the backyard where I want to park the coach, I don't want to high center coming off of the street. My 30' Barth will go in & out, but just barely.
The coach is a 6 hour drive from me. I'm going to see it on Tuesday.
Thanks in Advance - Ric

The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #10 –
Excellent note, Don. I "waddled" out of a steep exit in Gulfport like that, too. Go slowly, holding Breath And Button. Tip toe kinda thing. Then, breathe. 

BTW: too cool to do this slow dance recently and dragged my toad's "umbilicals" to shreds on the same sort of topography. Ouch! My hitch is to low, maybe. Best--Paul
Paul & Kathleen
1995 U320c SE 40'
Build 4681 --Cummins M11 /17511
"That Irish Girl"
Red MINI " 40"

Re: Ground Clearance

Reply #11 –
Don't know if this is any help but where I store my coach there is a steep ramp.  Coach just touches at normal ride height but clears easily when raised up.  Ramp is steeper than it looks in picture.

Keith
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159